It’s a sad time, since even if you haven’t played it, you’ve almost certainly heard about it or seen some gameplay online. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the best tactical shooters on PC, influencing games such as Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege and substantially influencing Twitch and YouTube video.
It also had a thriving in-game market for weapon skins. All skins have a monetary value and can be obtained via loot boxes and sold for real money. One weapon skin even sold for $400,000, demonstrating how serious some people take it.
But all good things must come to an end, and Valve revealed last year that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will be replaced by Counter-Strike 2, which would be essentially the same game with a few significant tweaks.
It debuted on Steam to mixed reviews, being the developer’s lowest-rated game while being fully free-to-play like the original. Fans have become acclimated to it in recent months, but there are still plenty who prefer the first game; regrettably, Valve does not share this sentiment.
While both games are still available on Steam, support for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was announced to end on January 1, 2024, and the game has now been changed to “legacy” status.
There will be no further content updates or patches/fixes. Online play is still possible, although not through official matchmaking. This means you’ll only be able to play on community-hosted servers, or you’ll have to settle for Counter-Strike 2.
It’s a difficult pill to take, but there’s nothing you can do about it. Having saying that, Counter-Strike 2 is a fantastic substitute, and with a few more post-launch improvements, it’ll likely achieve the same esteem that the first game enjoyed for many years.
